When most people think of an Art Studio. They often dream up a secluded place, building, cottage, or urban scene, surrounded by large canvas, paint brushes, pencils, great views, knickknacks, and more! An uninformed guess, but they do envision something.

Most Artists like me and other types of Creative People hold these visions as wishes, or someday realities. For example, "Someday I'll have my own studio space." "Someday I'll be able to make art when I find a space for it." "Someday! Someday! Someday!" While in reality the only thing that's stopping you is your someday. At this very moment you're probably thinking "Well I don't have time for art either." "It's not a priority," and that may be true for you right now. But let me tell you that having had so many losses of family members in the last 3 years. That all you have is now. So make the commitment now, because someday may never come.

It's imperative that you don't hold back anything you have from the world. Your talents, ambitions, and ideas matter! I've been doing this since grade school, and even though I have a studio space now. It never stopped me from making art before I had a space then. I started with what I had, and that's the best place to start. It's a needed reality check that Art can be made from anywhere, it has no boundaries.

What this means for you, is simple. Youdon't need a special someday place to make art. Your someday place can be made right here in your home, no matter how big or small it is. My someday place back then was the kitchen table, the living room floor, and even my bed while I was in Art School. Art doesn't need a special place to be special. It just needs a place or a spot to be born.

So no more excuses! Let your someday be NOW!

Download my free Workbook below, that'll walk you through the steps to creating your someday Artspace Now,and when you finish. Post a picture of your new space on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #MySomeDayIsNow​ to motivate others by sharing what you've done! Or send me a picture at contact@paintishtickerthanwater.com. I can't wait to see the outcome!

Brushes are the Rolls Royce of my Artist Studio! They can define who you are as a Artist, as well as cost a hefty penny. Some are made of mixtures of Animal Hairs, while others are made from synthetic bristles. I prefer the vegan option! Anyhow, our paintbrushes are investments to our imaginations. So better take good care of them. Right!

Here are some tips to extend the longevity of your paintbrushes!

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1. Use cold water when cleaning your paintbrushes.

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I learned this tip from my high school Art Teacher Mrs. Rust. She taught me that everyone says to use warm or hot water to clean your brushes, but when you do this, you slowly but surely melt the glue that holds together the bristles of your paintbrushes. So always use cold water to keep your bristles strong!

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2. Wash your paintbrushes with a mild soap.

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Avoiding harsh chemicals and soaps will help your brushes look and feel healthier, and less fuzzy, and not make the hairs stick out in different directions. Some soaps I like using are your everyday Liquid Dish Soap, The Master Brush Cleaner and Perserver, and Pink Soap.

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3. Use hair conditioner to rescue brushes that have hardened.

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In the past I've used a mixture of Hair Conditioner and water to soften hardened paintbrushes. I mix the two into a creamy mixture, and then rub it into the brush. Then I stick the brush in the remaining mixture and let it sit overnight. It works most of the time, but it may need more than one night.

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4. Us the double dip method that oil painters use to clean your brushes.

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Oil painters often use a little metal tray that they fill with the cleaner of their choice. Since I work in acrylics, I'll use this method while painting and cleaning my brushes. What you'll need to do is get two cups or jars of water. Use one jar to swish your dirty paintbrush in, and the use the other jar to swish it again. It's like a clean and rinse, but you don't want to rinse in the dirty water. What this does is get the sneaky paint that's left behind on your brushes.

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6. After drying your brushes, store them facing up, not down.

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I have to admit. I'm guilty of this one. Store your brushes facing up to prevent that smoochy look, that damages your brushes.

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7. Always clean the space where the brush meets the silver part more than once, twice, three times.

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The Ferrule is that metal thing on your paintbrush that connects it to the handle, and keeps a grip on the bristles. After you clean your brushes you'll want to check this area again. This area likes to store paint inside the ferrule, and hold onto it. What this means for you, is a hardened paintbrush! So be sure to check once, twice, and three times if you have too!

Andrew Loomis was an American Illustrator, Author, and Art Instructor way back in the 30s. He served in World War 1 and taught at the American Academy of Art, and provided Illustrations for many advertising agencies before opening his own studio in the Windy City of Chicago. He is well know among Illustrators for the legacy he left behind. These 6 Amazing Art Instruction Books, that help Artists not only understand the Fundamentals of Art, but understand the Aesthetics of Art, a set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty.

I'd like to note that some of this books feature stereotyped images or ideas about women and people of color within some image examples and text. Mostly due to the times of the 1930s. But I encourage you to look beyond that, to unlock the treasure these books provide towards your creative growth as an Artist.

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These books have guided me through what some call the hardest parts of Art. Perspective, Proportion, and The Movement of Figures. They also take some time to read, and some time to process. So make the time, and if you have any questions, or need help understanding, let me know in the comments. I'm happy to help.

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Loomis books give Artists the chance to express their true vision, by showing them the way. They've been out of print for years, but are recently making a comeback to the Amazon Market. Some at collectable prices. But the good news is, that since they've been out of print for years. They've been available for download free of charge online, and now free of charge on this blog post. Just click the links below!

Making Comics by Scott McCloud is a great resource for those who want to dig their heels into drawing! It's a great tool if you want to learn how to tell stories, create facial expressions, and learn the general landscape of building a picture within your artwork. Plus don't be scared that this is a comic drawing book about comics﻿. This book seats well on any type Artists bookshelf and I believe it's essential for everyone!

Daily Painting by Carol Marine﻿, is an awesome book for those beginnings or returning to the Arts after a long. Hiatus. She covers basic art tools and techniques and gives you a general grasp on the Art Making Process! This too is a must have for your Artist Bookshelf!

I knew I was down with The Watercolorist's Essential Notebook by Gordon MacKenzie when I saw that this book showed Artists how to stretch their watercolor paper. A skill I learned back in Art School that I rarely see in tutorials about watercolor painting. This book is a treasure of resources if you've ever wanted to try your hand at watercolor painting. Your sure to find everything you need to know right here in this book!

Hey everyone.As you can tell by the post title. I totally forgot to post on Saturday. So I thought I write about how I deal with making mistakes.

So, the first thing I do is acknowledge the mistakes by acknowledging my feeling about it, and then I let it go. I'm not the type to let my emotions linger. Instead I like to frame it around growth! Thoughts often come to mind like:

"How can I do it differently next time?" "Is it the end of the world?"

"Was there a good reason for this mistake, and underline lesson?"

"Do I need to re-think my schedule, or my purpose around this thing."

Mistakes for me, are like whispers to the soul. They are little secrets that help you become stronger, more courageous, and help you get back on track. So, the best thing you can do after making a mistake is to feel the emotion around it and then Let it go! Don't be hard on yourself, and most importantly don't point fingers. Instead Claim it, Own It, and Evolve because of it, and if you still do any of those things, like getting angry, or pointing fingers, grow from it.

Back when I was teaching art, at an After School Program in Fairfield, Ca. I had started a Garden Club that I Integrated with the Arts with the youth in the program. It was my first time gardening, so I thought we'd learn together. Anyhow, what I noticed each season, was that when a student over watered a plant it dies, and if they didn't give it enough water, well It died. When this happened, I didn't go out and buy new plants for the students. Instead we made adjustments, and looked into what we did wrong, and what we could do better. Then we made those adjustments, and then we waited, and once we did that the plant was born again. It didn't matter how many times that plant died. Once we focused on how to make it grow, then it grew!

Once we focused on how to make it grow, it grew! This is how I frame my mistakes, like the one I made yesterday. I could say things like:

A few month's ago, I went to a conference that I regularly attend called Teaching for Social Justice in San Francisco. It was their 16th Annual Conference, and my 3rd time attending. I love this conference because it's not open to educators, parents, and the artists, and communities free of charge. I also love it because it's help educators understand students and not place judgements because they behave a certain way. Instead, workshops inspire educators, communities, and families to understand one another. Regardless of race, gender, ability, age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, or faith, for intellectual, spiritual, artistic, and emotional growth, and give their students and communities access to resources regardless of these things. Teachers, and AfterSchool Programs and Artists flock here for its progressive take on learning.

Anyhow, I wanted to share some resources I gained from this conference since we've been talking about printable coloring book 5th Ave.My book as you know was created out of a need for more diversity in coloring books, and a need to represent African-American flappers of that time in a positive like, instead of the stereotypes I find in history. Well I believe in this project and I also believe that we need more diverse books, and you know what? Our society is slowly edging toward this goal. This is important because all children should be able to find people that look like them in books, and I'm not just talking about children of color. I'm also talking about disabled children, children with mixed families, single parent homes, and kids who don't live with their parents. They deserve a face in literature.

So I wanted to share some book lists that educators have put together of diverse children's books that you can share with your kids, families, students and communities.﻿ One is from the conference, and the other one is from a blog, whose name I can't remember. But both lists invite you to add any diverse books you know of to them.

Hi All, Yesterday I shared where the concept for my Coloring Book 5th Avenue came from. Today I wanted to share a list that detailed the steps of my process. In an effort to help you create your very own coloring book one day.

Come up with your coloring book idea! "Brainstorm"

Research Your Idea!

Gather all your research and paste it into a journal, include notes, facts, doodles,etc.

Look for Photo Reference ( follow copyright law) I'll get into this in a future post, but in general don't make your images look like the photo.

Doodle and Play with Reference, Style, and Composition which is the arrangement of it all.

Selected Final Sketches and Choose a size for your book, also make decide if your book will be a full bleed, which means that images go to the edges or will you crop your pages. If so find a free template online or make your own crop marks.

Create a Deadline and a plan at this stage. If you have 2 weeks and 12 images. Schedule 3 images a day for 4 days for example. That's what I did.

Keep to the plan, and make sure you block out time to do it.

After all the sketches are finished, it time to rework eat sketch even further. To tighten the quality. I know that this takes time, but edits, and changes are worth it. So spend another 2 weeks or what ever your schedule a lots for to make the edits, and changes to your images.

Then once this stage is over. I scheduled time to ink each image onto tracing paper.

After all the images are inked. It's time to place them into the scanner, and upload them into Photoshop. I scanned them at 300 dpi.

Once your images are in Photoshop it's time for more editing, and cleaning up your image. This too takes time, and it's worth it. So don't pull your hair out about it.

While your doing that work on other elements of your coloring book. My other elements we're the boarders, and the text. Follow the same process.

Once all edits we're made, print out a draft of your coloring book.

If you like it, your all set. If not go back and edit.

Once you've completed everything save as a PDF. You can choose to print single sided or double sided, but just made sure your grid lines are in the right place.

Hi everyone, I was looking forward and excited to post a video for you all, but it looks like that isn't going to happen again. At least for today. So, I thought I'd just tell you more about the background of the coloring book.

If this is your first time here, and you haven't heard of my coloring book 5th. Ave. It is a printable coloring book inspired by African-American Women of the 1920s. Flappers to be more clear. The 20s were a fabulous time for women. Why? Because it was a time when women we're testing their boundaries, and testing the status quote of what was to be considered ladylike. I'm generally speaking in terms of their speech, behavior, and clothing expectations that we're thrust upon women back in the day.

In Literature and Art, there are beautiful illustrations of women of the 20s and Flappers, but most of these women, didn't share the creamy brown skin, or the features that I was born with. Yet, the images that do, show a different tale of African Americans feature a stereotyped view, such as the Sambo﻿.I couldn't find many African-American woman hand drawn and illustrated in jewels, dresses and styles of that time.

So, the big idea arrived. I wanted to Illustrate African-American Women, Flappers of the 1920s. and what was Ironic about it all, was that is that they existed! They existed in photography, poetry, and jazz, but they weren't illustrated. I know that those times we're different, but I feel that it's important to depict positive images of people of color, that juxtapose those negative stereotypes that still linger even in our day! So, I wanted to illustrate these women, and The 5th Avenue Coloring Book is just the beginning.

O.K. Today is Day 10 of my 30 days of blogging, and I'm excited to share the early stages of my 5th Avenue Coloring Book﻿ with you. Unfort﻿unately, I'm still waiting for the video I filmed for you to convert. So, I'm not going to trip over this, or yell, or scream. Instead , I'm going to give you a rain-check. I'm o.k. with that, because when life gives you lemons, make lemonade! As soon as the video finishes loading. I'll add it to tomorrows post. See you soon!

Click Here to learn more about this 30 days of blogging series! Thanks for Reading!

Hi everyone! I wanted to take a quick pause today to celebrate 8 days of blogging. I'm loving this journey, and I'm learning a lot about my pace and structure as a blogger.

When I started this blog about 10 years ago. There was so much excitement and energy around it. I had just finished art school, and was grappling with the what now theory. So I created an Series called After Art School.

Doing this 30 days of blogging is bringing that energy back, and I can't wait to share more resources, tips and goodies with you.

Moving on, this week I'll be giving you a glimpse at how I made my coloring book 5th Avenue. I'm going to introduce you to my idea generation process, and then I'm going to show you some of my sketches, raw and uncut. After that I'll be showing how I put together the coloring book. Just in case it's something your interested in.

Butt In Seat Syndrome has been around since the creation of man/woman.

Yet, it's rarely talked about. It crushes dreams, and makes people not take action on their creative goals. It's quite devastating, if you have it.Because you never get a chance to reach your creative potential.

If you have any of these symptoms. You might have the Butt In Seat Syndrome.

The term Butt In Seat Syndrome came about from a group of scientists at Tail University back in 1964. They conducted a large study of 500 people from around the globe. They asked them questions about what they wanted to do, and how they were going to do it. Then they creating dream spaces for the﻿ 500 people ﻿ to reach their capabilities. Everything was provided, and even time off from work, free babysitting, and all their bills and expenses we're paid off or paid for. Then what they observed was astonishing! Some people watched the T.V., others made excuses, some people asked for money to buy more stuff, and others were too tired or kept getting distracted. A bunch of people just talked and pondered to others about what they were going to create, but they never did it! Some even started to blame others for getting in their way, and some just complained about how they couldn't do it. Even though free private instruction was provided for them and they we're able to take any and as many classes as they wanted to o at the University or somewhere else.

The Butt In Seat syndrome generally manifests when you make plans to make art, and make moves to be creative. It starts out by setting a goal to make x amount of artworks or to join some class. Then it spirals out of control, and you find yourself wishing you would had started yesterday!

Don't worry though, because of the groundbreaking research that has taken place over the last few years. There is a cure, that many people had known about for years, but others just laughed at them, or called them crazy. But these notions have finally been tested, and yes there is a cure. Mark Twain knew it and nobody believed him at the time, but here it is.

Right here! Right Now! Pull up a chair, find a table, and just start doodling and making art. It's that simple! If you've been planning to take a class, GO! go now and sign up for it! That's it. Don't make any stops on the way! Stop overthinking and just do!

It's important to remember that Artists aren't the only ones effected by Butt In Seat Syndrome. It's been holding back people of all nations from their creativity for decades. It is only now, ﻿﻿through extensive research and self reflection, that we as a people finally have the tools to fight back and take back what is ours. That is our right to be and process creativity.

Find a Seat, and Put your Butt in it, and then take 5 Minutes to make some Art!

For today's post, I wanted to share one of my favorite quote's by Maya Angelou with you. I came across it a few years, on a poster I spotted in a middle school hallway.

The message stopped me in my tracks, because back then, I was working a handful of jobs and work-study to pay for my Art School Education. Which often left me feeling overwhelmed.

On top of that I always came across those people, who didn't understand why I wasn't going to school to get a "Real Job." They didn't understand my vision and why I didn't just go for a teaching degree, since I was good at it. Don't get me wrong. I thought about it, but I enjoyed the creative freedom of teaching in after school programs. I got to connect with students on a whole other level, that was amazing and transformation for them! I got to push boundaries, and really celebrate the evolution of student learning. Why would I want to give that up, for a structured classroom. After School Learning is a whole different type of frontier when it comes to the learning landscape.

People didn't understand that my vision for the future was art, illustration, and teaching on an expanded frontier of learning. Which is why I feel this quote is so important. As you move forward on your creative path, you'll need to discover who you are, and what you want. You'll need to find your vision, not the vision of others.

Have you ever put on someone else's glasses. What happened? Most likely, your vision was a bit blurred, but that wasn't the case for them. Was it? They saw clearly through their lens, but not you. It's because, those glasses were prescribed for their eyes, not yours.

“First, study yourself. See who you really want to be and as soon as you say, see it, say it, put it out into the universe. I want to be a dancer. I want to be a mathematician. I want to be an inventor. I want to be a doctor. I want to be a writer. You must say it, and then go about the business of becoming it. Study it…and bring all your energies to it. -Maya Angelou

You may have heard the ongoing stereotype, that Artists are Aloof, Introverted Crazy Loners, who like to work alone and be alone. In my experience as an Artist, I can say that we like alone time just as much as anyone else would, but we also like to work and gather with friends. Why do you think Artist created Ateliers, Guilds, and Workshops all throughout Art History. Was it all for the sake of working alone. I THINK NOT!

When Artists and Creative People come together its magic. It's a meeting of the minds. I'm a true testament of this too! When I went to Art School it was the first time in my life, when I truly felt like I fit somewhere. It was because I was surrounded by like minded souls like myself who understood each others visual language. It wasn't until I graduated and was thrown back into the real world that I felt I was estranged again. The real world didn't speak my Artist tongue.

But through Teaching Art, I got to shine and express my creative side, and build a bond with my students as they discovered their creative selves. I also sought out places where I could connect with other Artists.

On your journey to creativity. You'll have to find others you bond with creatively, because this too is an important part of the journey to waking up those creative bones.

Creativity is one of those things that is innate within us all. We're all born with it, and we all have it. It's just that as some of us grow up. We lose it along the way.

Most often we lose it because of fear. As David Kelley says in the TED Talk below. it's "The fear of being judged."Because of this, our creativity can flee from us in a matter of seconds. Someone can look at something we've drawn, or crafted and say something like I love your horse. When it was actually a house. That little fraction of a second, steals our creativity away from us. It's something that stabs at us from the inside.

So the point I'd like to make today is to face your fears. It's the only way to take back what is yours, and what was lost. To do this, you'll need to get comfortable stumbling in the face of others. David Kelly says to "work on the things that are really important to you." and to "do what you've set out to do."

This year you've set your sights on really. I mean really, making creativity a part of your day-to-day life!

Your set on breathing it, feeling it, and taking action toward it in a multitude of ways. I mean why not! After All, creativity is the straw that provides healing, answers and research, by compelling us to ask questions. In a sense creativity unravels life, and gives us a change to explore it. It manifests itself in Art, Music, Skyscrapers, and even in that Boring Training you have at work! Can't you tell when you're having fun, and when you're not! That's the grace of creativity!

Here are 5 Ways Y﻿ou Can Tap Into That Grace ﻿This ﻿Year!

1. Unravel your why?

Why do you want to be more creative? Is it to advance your career at work, is it to bring more good feeling into your life, is it for me time, is it to reduce stress. You get it! This step is important, because after all you've got to know what your fighting for!

2. Start Small

Take a free class online. Creative Live has a huge choice of classes to start with. Just be sure to carve out time for them. Most are full day classes, people often watch them live online at home and at work. Plus, if you really love the class, you can just buy it, then you won't have to worry about watching it on their time. I now own 10 classes and 1 Bundle of Classes from Creative Live. Totally 17 classes. P.S. I am an Affiliate of Creative Live , but it's because I value and love their service and this is one of my favorite places to learn. Hands Down! I want to share the best with you! So I only affiliate with the best!

3. Create a space for your creativity, and decide what that will look like.

It doesn't have to be an art studio. This is your change to GET CREATIVE. Is that kitchen table just for eating, or can it double as a place to make art. When I was in Art School, I worked on my bed, in vacant classrooms, and even on the floor. My college bestie, worked in the Kitchen at her parents house. When I started Paint Is Thicker Than Water. I turned my mini closet into an office space, and today I have a studio, but I also a space I created at home that included a foldy picnic table I bought at Walmart for $35 dollars, and a Picnic Chair. It's nothing special, it's just a place where I can sit down and get creative!

4. Invest

Practice : ﻿Invest ﻿in a sketchbook, journal, or dollar store notebook. Doodle in it, write ideas, draw in it, and please try not to lose it. This is the vessel that is going to catch-all those thoughts, ideas, and images floating around in your head. Don't let your ideas slip away capture them. I hate when Ideas pop up, and I don't have a ﻿pen ﻿or something to write it down. So tragically, it moves on to someone else, and leaves me behind. Don't let this happen to you. Don't let those ideas be forgotten. They came to you for a reason.

5. Learn the 3 P's

Practice, Patience, and Persistence! This isn't an overnight thing, so getting frustrated and throwing away half of your sketchbook will not help you grow as an Artist or Creative Being. Chill out, and try again. As long as you're trying, your still growing. Unless you stop! We Artist Train just like Athletes, We started in the same place as you. It wasn't magic, it was Practice, Patience, and Persistence! So don't be too hard on yourself, or envy others, and most importantly don't give up!

So, you want to be creative, but you don't have any ideas, and ideas don't always just come out of then air like in the movies! Ideas are created, experienced, and seen. So just maybe, it's time to retreat from your bubble. Because on of the best ways to draw creativity to you, is to go out and get inspired by it! So how do you do that!

1. Take Advantage of Museum Free Days!

I don't just mean at Art Museums, but at Science, Aerospace Museums and more. Do some research and then stick the dates in your calendar.

When I was in Art School years ago. I went to an Aerospace Museum in Sacramento, that blew my mind away. I came back with ideas, a story, and created an Illustration of a young girl who dreamt of being a pilot! She wore Pilot Goggles and a cape to bed. The walls in her room we're covered in airplanes, and she left the window open so that when she stood up she could feel like she was flying! This idea came from one free day at a museum. I wish I still had the Illustration to show you, it's tucked away in some sketchbook. Anyhow, the best part about this is that I had to go out and explorer to capture this idea. I know the same will happen for you.

Plus be sure to document with a small sketchbook or buy postcards of your favorite pieces at Art Museums. In the sketchbook, write down the name and what drew you to the piece. Even if it's ugly. Write, it was ugly. LOL! Then at other museums take photos that you can use for reference in the future. Like the planes I was talking about. Take pictures of how the engine looks, the propeller, everything. You never know if one day you draw to attempt to draw an inside of a plane. You'll have reference to help you!

I also want to mention to put your phone away at Art Museums. It's O.K. to take a few pictures. It's another thing to walk from picture to picture with your phone in the air, filming every second or snapping a photo of every single piece. I say this, because I think people are missing out on really experiencing and being there with the art. Instead of looking at it through a lens. Get close, not too close! But close enough to see the work of the Artist and then pull back and really take it in. Pictures are O.K. but set a limit and then be there with the art.

If you live in the SF Bay Area. Fun Cheap San Francisco is a site that has lists of Fun, Free, and Cheap things to do in the Bay Area, an surrounding cities. They list events daily. Anything from free museum days, free shuttle tour bus rides of the Presidio, free Film Screening, Art Walks, Drink & Paint Days, Yoga Sessions, Art Making Sessions, and the list just goes on.

Find an An Artist that you like and Study their work by browsing the Google ﻿Art Project. Then head to your local Library to study that Artist. Or just study them online, but I mean really study them. Learn about their processes, their life, their connections, who were they inspired by. Learn everything you can and get inspired by it. Ask yourself how you can apply this to your work. If they paint buildings, start doodling building or you can go and take pictures of building. Look at how the Artist used lights and darks in their work, or if they painted old building with gargoyles or something. You get the point. Try to can capture that in a photo diary of building. This is one of the ways that art is made.

I﻿t's ﻿2017﻿, and I'm jump-starting the New Year with 30 straight days of blogging!

My goal is to ﻿punch your life with ﻿more creativity ﻿in 2017!

If this is your first time on my blog. Welcome to Paint Is Thicker Than Water! Where I sow Radical Seeds in the Arts & After School Programs! My name is Jennyann Carthern, and I'm an Illustrator & Teaching Artist!

I write for Artists, Wanna Be Artists & Educators in After School Programs here on my blog, and of course I make Art! 2017 is the year of giganto changes, and this is the first step that I'm taking to connect with more readers like you! If you've haven't been able to find your way in the Arts or have struggled on your path as an After School Leader or Teaching Artist. Boy Oh Boy! I've got loads of tools, tips, and ideas from experience that I'm itching to pass on to you!

Last (Optional Of Course) Download The Beeline Reader. It's a free online reading tool, that promises to help you read through this blog faster! Like a speed reader!

Moving On!

Here's my Blog Forecast for the next 30 Days!

Week 1:

This week is all about discovering your New Years Breakthrough!

A breakthrough is defined as a sudden, dramatic, and important discovery or development. In this case that sudden, dramatic and important development is you! This week I'm going to push you into 2017 with a burst of creativity. You'll figure out where to start, how to start, and then get going!

Week 2:

This is the Diverse Coloring Book Week!

I'm going to give you a behind the scenes glimpse at how I made my Diverse Coloring Book 5th Avenue, inspired by African-American Flappers from the 1920s. I'll share where the idea came from, and why it's important for youth and adults to have more diverse categories in literature! I'll also share some of my favorite reads, and you'll get to grab some free samples of my coloring book!

Week 3:

Is this your first time diving into the arts. I bet you have some questions about What paintbrushes to buy and how to keep them clean, and why the heck are they soooooo expensive! I bet you even have questions about the back of that tube of paint. What does AP Non-Toxic mean anyway? We'll work on questions like these I'll give you some ideas on setting up your work space in your home, kitchen, corner closet, etc. Along with much more.

Week 4:

Oh! It's Teacher Week, any teachers, non-teachers, parents, aunts, grandmas, etc. are welcome. But since my background is mostly in After-School Learning. I'm going to share how I made some breakthroughs out of mistakes and haven't a clue moments while teaching. HA HA HA! I'm also going to share how I learned to command a room, and spark interest in my students learning, even the boring subjects! Learning can and is fun, you've just got to be dedicated to being a learner and a student at the same time! Teachers Rule!

Week 5:

In this last week, I'll be Lifting the Veil. I'm gonna introduce you to some unknown Black Artists in Art History! Um...You Know...The one's the textbooks forgot to tell you about! I'll also have some free lesson plans you can download to go along with the reading.